Visual impairment can have significant consequences on a person's livelihood. The ability to perform ordinary, everyday functions can be disrupted by even relatively minor vision disorders. Vision problems can materialize in various forms, such as diminished visual acuity, distorted central or peripheral vision, eccentric fixation, and impaired depth perception. These problems may be caused by a wide range of medical conditions including macular degeneration, retinal detachment, and neurological deficits.
Vision tests can be performed as part of eye examinations or routine screenings to diagnose vision problems. Common vision tests, such as visual acuity, refraction and visual field tests, can facilitate detection of possible vision defects. Vision tests are also useful for monitoring the long-term progression of eye diseases in patients.
While accurate diagnosis of vision problems is important, effective treatment often demands more than just a formulaic prescription of corrective lenses or recommendations for surgery. Various considerations involving eye health, refractive status, and personal lifestyle can determine the appropriate course of treatment for a particular patient. Gaining an appreciation of the visual effects of vision defects experienced by a person can provide contextualized knowledge of her symptoms and help inform the choice of treatment techniques.
One of the challenges of simulating the perceived effects of vision defects is an inherent disconnect between the creator of the simulation and the experience of the patient. As may be expected, simulated visual effects rely to a large extent on testimonials of patients. Unfortunately, people with vision defects are often unable to accurately describe what they see, especially in cases involving complex distortions. As a consequence, they may be left to merely confirming or denying the accuracy of a particular simulation, rather than contributing relevant details for the actual generation of the simulation. Moreover, simulations that are based on generalized understandings of vision defects may fail to appropriately represent individualized visual reactions to real-life situations and contexts.
Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.